A Quiet Illusion, A Loud Reality

For years, Punjab believed thalassemia wasn’t its problem. Official health records showed zero cases. No alerts, no urgency, no programs. But behind the silence, families were rushing children to hospitals, arranging emergency blood transfusions, and living in confusion, fear, and misdiagnosis.

In July 2025, the truth finally surfaced: 257 thalassemia patients registered in Punjab - 87 of them children under 12.

Thalassemia in children was never absent. It was simply uncounted.

From Invisibility to Evidence

The shift wasn’t triggered by a medical outbreak - but by a digital one.

In 2023, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare launched the Sickle Cell & Thalassemia Portal. For the first time, states were required to upload patient data. Punjab, previously silent, began recording years of pending cases.

The result?

A dramatic jump from “zero” to “257” thalassemia patients. Not because the disease had spread - but because it had finally been seen. This data breakthrough sparked a new wave of thalassemia awareness across the state.

Faces Behind the Numbers

Behind every number is a name. Like Mehar, a 7-year-old from Ludhiana, who looked pale and tired for most of her childhood. Doctors suspected malnutrition. But only after a paediatrician suggested a haemoglobin test did her family receive the real diagnosis: thalassemia major.

Her story echoes across Punjab. Children whose symptoms were misunderstood. Parents who lived in fear. Diagnoses that came too late.

Now, with official recognition, these families can finally access help.

Thalassemia in children is manageable with proper care. But early diagnosis is the first step.

A Portal to Hope: Government Schemes in Action

With visibility came eligibility. Patients in Punjab can now benefit from the Thalassemia Bal Sewa Yojana (TBSY) - a government scheme offering up to ₹10 lakh per child for bone marrow transplants.

Backed by Coal India’s CSR initiative, this scheme has empowered families to access treatment in top hospitals, including:

• PGIMER, Chandigarh
• Christian Medical College, Ludhiana
• AIIMS, Delhi

For many, the support isn’t just financial - it’s life-changing.

This wouldn't have been possible without the initial push for thalassemia awareness and digital reporting.

A Preventable Legacy

Thalassemia is inherited. Two carrier parents have a 25% chance of passing the disease to their child. Yet, most couples in Punjab marry without knowing their status.

The solution?

Carrier screening, especially premarital and antenatal testing. These aren’t just technical recommendations - they’re tools that could prevent hundreds of new thalassemia births every year.

With government hospitals in Punjab now piloting these programs, prevention is becoming a policy priority.

Thalassemia in children doesn’t have to be their fate. With the right steps, it can be avoided altogether.

Project Rainbow: A Local Model with National Promise

While national programs scale, local heroes lead. In Ludhiana, Project Rainbow brings together:

• Hospitals
• NGOs
• Community health workers

The project offers free screenings, genetic counselling, support groups, and regular transfusions - all under one roof. It shows what's possible when public funding meets grassroots will.

It’s also proof that thalassemia awareness isn’t just about posters and pamphlets - it’s about people.

Breaking the Silence, Building the Future

Today, Punjab is no longer silent. From schools to clinics, conversations around thalassemia are gaining ground. Young couples are asking for screening. Doctors are being trained. From zero to 257 isn’t just a statistic. It’s a shift in attitude, policy, and empathy.

The children who were once invisible are now recognized, supported, and, in some cases, cured. Because thalassemia in children is more than a condition - it’s a call to action.

Discover how Punjab uncovered the truth about thalassemia in children - only on TheUnitedIndian.